How do we evaluate the 10 days at the Dallas Cup 2009? Well, lots of different emotions ranging from disappointment to pride. Overall, I think that the trip has been a fantastic learning experience for the whole squad and the coaching staff. We were disappointed not to advance in the tournament after a nervous start in extremely windy conditions against Solar SC. Solar went all the way to the final and I firmly believe that had we played them on a normal day with normal conditions we would have won comfortably. They played the wind much better than we did as they are so used to playing in it as the home team.
Losing the first game meant that we had to win our second game and we produced a much improved performance but were denied by a poor referee. We were playing well and looking likely to get at least a draw V Miami when Michael Pestana was sent off for a sliding challenge. Michael was a little late but it was never a sending off. I was proud with the way the team kept fighting and working for each other despite going 2 down and playing with 10 men for 30 minutes.
We finished the competitive games off on a positive note with a strong performance V FC Barcelona USA. We won 4-0 and it could have been more as we attacked with pace, skill and purpose. I was proud of the reaction of the team and the mentality to play so well after the disappointment of the first 2 games. We reacted very positively to going out of the tournament.
We finished the week very well with 2 good performances in friendly matches, beating last year's winners, Houston Dynamo, 2-1 and losing 3-2 to super-group team, Dallas Texans. The game v the Texans was probably our best performance of the week as we more than matched the Texas champions for 90 minutes. We conceded a late goal, missed a penalty and numerous other chances as we dominated large parts of the game. The fact that we played so well in our 5th match of the week was especially pleasing as it proved that the extra fitness work that we had done in training had paid off.
So, at the end of the week, we can look back on 5 tough games and improved performances throughout the week as we got used to the conditions and style of play. Our young team learnt the importance of keeping possession and more importantly working hard as a TEAM. They learnt to be positive with each other and improved as a team as a result.
I am confident that this experience will make us more determined to return next year as a stronger group of players. With the right attitude and work rate, I'm sure that we will have enough quality to challenge for the title next year.
Tuesday, 14 April 2009
Friday, 10 April 2009
Lewisham's first goal of the tournament
Louie scored Lewishams first goal of the tournament in a 4 nil win
First Training Session
The boys preparing for their first training session at Flower Mound college on the Saturday 4th April 2009Team talk for practice match against the Dallas Texans
Head coach Dan Thomas explaining the formation and tactics the boys will be playingPhotograph of Dallas Texans and Lewisham College Players
The host families arranged an amazing Barbercue for the players and some games for all payers coaching staff and parents to get to know each other
Picnic with Host Family Dallas Texans
This picture shows the squad socialising and playing sit down volleyball with the Dallas Texans players
Opening Ceremony
The opening ceremony in the Pizza Hut stadium capacity 20,000 brought 120 teams onto the pitch to meet and greet each other
Dallas Cup Diary Continued
Wednesday 8th April 2009
Today the boys played Fc Barcelona. The conditions were less windy and we played in Richland Park. The boys played their best match so far, creating lots of goal scoring chances and demonstarting the performances they have shown during the season back in the uk.
The game ended 4 nil to Lewisham and could have been more. The goal scorers were Louie who scored 2, marcus 1 and Ricardo 1. The boys dominated possesion for long periods of the game, impressing the local college scouts, who were very interested in some of our players.
The confidence feed back into the players and team spirit was great, now looking forward to a couple of friendlies against Houston Dynamo who won the u19 group the previous year and the Dallas Texans who were in the super group and our host team.
Thursday 9th April 2009
Today we played Houston Dynamo who knocked us out of the tournament last year. The game was very even we both teams creating chances. Lewisham took the lead with a goal from Bobbys header. Houston then had 15 minutes of dominace creating several chances and scoring one. The boys then turned the game around and put the pressure on hitting the crossbar twice one of the attempts being a 25 yard screamer by Reece.
In the last two minutes of the game there was some fantastic link up play with Marcus slotting the goal past their Keeper. The dynamos had now time to recover and the game was won by Lewisham 2-1. There record in the tournament is now played 4 won 2 with a plus 1 goal difference.
In the evening the texan parents invited all the players and coaches to a fantastic mexican restaurant and a good time was had by all, with each parent complementing our boys on their attitude and behaviour and manners whilst staying with the families.
Today the boys played Fc Barcelona. The conditions were less windy and we played in Richland Park. The boys played their best match so far, creating lots of goal scoring chances and demonstarting the performances they have shown during the season back in the uk.
The game ended 4 nil to Lewisham and could have been more. The goal scorers were Louie who scored 2, marcus 1 and Ricardo 1. The boys dominated possesion for long periods of the game, impressing the local college scouts, who were very interested in some of our players.
The confidence feed back into the players and team spirit was great, now looking forward to a couple of friendlies against Houston Dynamo who won the u19 group the previous year and the Dallas Texans who were in the super group and our host team.
Thursday 9th April 2009
Today we played Houston Dynamo who knocked us out of the tournament last year. The game was very even we both teams creating chances. Lewisham took the lead with a goal from Bobbys header. Houston then had 15 minutes of dominace creating several chances and scoring one. The boys then turned the game around and put the pressure on hitting the crossbar twice one of the attempts being a 25 yard screamer by Reece.
In the last two minutes of the game there was some fantastic link up play with Marcus slotting the goal past their Keeper. The dynamos had now time to recover and the game was won by Lewisham 2-1. There record in the tournament is now played 4 won 2 with a plus 1 goal difference.
In the evening the texan parents invited all the players and coaches to a fantastic mexican restaurant and a good time was had by all, with each parent complementing our boys on their attitude and behaviour and manners whilst staying with the families.
Justin Stephenson
Since arriving in Dallas I have enjoyed every single minute of it, the family have a huge house with a swimming pool a separate fridge for drinks what more can you ask for. But they have been great to me providing me everything I need so that I am to enjoy this experience even more .The family are very easy to talk to you can sense they like having you around. Our family’s son Tannar is a nice person he’s really down to earth he plays football as well for the Dallas Texans he took us to his school one day during week. And we were able to sit in one of his classes which I really enjoyed because I got see the teachers teaching methods in which there much more laid back and let the students get on with the work also, the whole class got on so well with one another. Everything you see here is just like how it is on television from the bright yellow school busses to the large amount of restaurants. This lifestyle is much more relaxed over here very laid back like myself its much more cleaner over here u rarely see a piece of rubbish on the floor also everyone drives in Dallas because everything is so far away.
Thursday, 9 April 2009
Dallas Cup Match Reports
The Dallas Cup 2009 experience.
Fri. 3rd April
We arrived into Dallas Fort Worth exhausted after flying via Toronto and then on to Texas. A journey that lasted approximately 26hrs mixed between flights, delays, customs and making connections.
Arriving at midnight on Saturday it was crucial for the players to rest and be ready for registration and the pre-match training session in which we would have a friendly game against the Dallas Texans (Super Group – Team).
The boys met the families at the airport and were taken home to rest before the first training session.
Sat. 4th April
The training session was held at Flower Mount College on an american football astro truf pitch surrounded by huge stands. Training was made up of fitness and possesion drills finishing with a 30mins training match against the Dallas Texans (our host family's) . After 10mins Lewisham started to dominate possession of the ball, and the game ended nil-nil. After coming off the pitch the players started to realise the effect of the heat on their performances.
In the evening the host families put on a true Texan style Barbaque in which there were games and activities set up to bond the teams. A photograph of all the players from both teams was taken and presents were given to the Lewisham players and coaches.
Sun 5th April.
Our first match took place at Pizza Hut Park against the strongest local team called 'Solar fc'. The game was lost two - nil in terrible windy conditions. These are typical Dallas conditions in which the local teams are familar with. Our boys found these conditions extremly difficult to play in and could not play their normal passing game. The opponents went one - nil up due to a poor defensive error within the first 10mins which put the team on the back foot. This was followed by sustained Lewisham pressure with a shot from outside the box by 'Frankie Richards' going just wide of the post. Lewisham had other chances with a shot that went over the crossbar taken by 'Stephon Hayles'. Unfortunately Lewisham could not score during the sustained period in which they were on top. Towards the end of the game with Lewisham taking risks to score the equaliser and pushing players forward Solar scored there second goal on the counter attack.
After the match all the players and staff went to the main Pizza Hut Park stadium which seats over twenty thousand people and watched Sau Paulo (Brazil) vs Dallas Texans (USA). In which Sau Paulo destroyed the Texans 7-0.
Once the game had finished all 121 teams came on to the main pitch to meet each other and have photos taken with them.
We all went up into the stadium stands to watch Man. City vs AC Milan in which Man. City won 4-0.
Mon. 6th April.
Our second game was against Miami in a disappointing two-nil defeat and ended our hopes of us progressing from the group stages into the knock out rounds. Once again the windy conditions had a major influence on the game and the referee did not allow the game to flow, sending off one of our key midfielders with a straight red that should have been a yellow card. This changed the dynamics of the match as we could not play the tactics set out. The game ended two-nil by a deflected shot outside the area and a goal mouth scramble in which there should have been a hand ball decison for us.
Fri. 3rd April
We arrived into Dallas Fort Worth exhausted after flying via Toronto and then on to Texas. A journey that lasted approximately 26hrs mixed between flights, delays, customs and making connections.
Arriving at midnight on Saturday it was crucial for the players to rest and be ready for registration and the pre-match training session in which we would have a friendly game against the Dallas Texans (Super Group – Team).
The boys met the families at the airport and were taken home to rest before the first training session.
Sat. 4th April
The training session was held at Flower Mount College on an american football astro truf pitch surrounded by huge stands. Training was made up of fitness and possesion drills finishing with a 30mins training match against the Dallas Texans (our host family's) . After 10mins Lewisham started to dominate possession of the ball, and the game ended nil-nil. After coming off the pitch the players started to realise the effect of the heat on their performances.
In the evening the host families put on a true Texan style Barbaque in which there were games and activities set up to bond the teams. A photograph of all the players from both teams was taken and presents were given to the Lewisham players and coaches.
Sun 5th April.
Our first match took place at Pizza Hut Park against the strongest local team called 'Solar fc'. The game was lost two - nil in terrible windy conditions. These are typical Dallas conditions in which the local teams are familar with. Our boys found these conditions extremly difficult to play in and could not play their normal passing game. The opponents went one - nil up due to a poor defensive error within the first 10mins which put the team on the back foot. This was followed by sustained Lewisham pressure with a shot from outside the box by 'Frankie Richards' going just wide of the post. Lewisham had other chances with a shot that went over the crossbar taken by 'Stephon Hayles'. Unfortunately Lewisham could not score during the sustained period in which they were on top. Towards the end of the game with Lewisham taking risks to score the equaliser and pushing players forward Solar scored there second goal on the counter attack.
After the match all the players and staff went to the main Pizza Hut Park stadium which seats over twenty thousand people and watched Sau Paulo (Brazil) vs Dallas Texans (USA). In which Sau Paulo destroyed the Texans 7-0.
Once the game had finished all 121 teams came on to the main pitch to meet each other and have photos taken with them.
We all went up into the stadium stands to watch Man. City vs AC Milan in which Man. City won 4-0.
Mon. 6th April.
Our second game was against Miami in a disappointing two-nil defeat and ended our hopes of us progressing from the group stages into the knock out rounds. Once again the windy conditions had a major influence on the game and the referee did not allow the game to flow, sending off one of our key midfielders with a straight red that should have been a yellow card. This changed the dynamics of the match as we could not play the tactics set out. The game ended two-nil by a deflected shot outside the area and a goal mouth scramble in which there should have been a hand ball decison for us.
James Golding
Jame's account of the trip so far.
'when I first arrived in Dallas the environment was pretty much what I expected. The reason for this was that I already had been to other parts of America where the lifestyle was similar. However, many of my team mates had never been to America and were excited by the changes. Arriving at my family's house they seemed very excited to have us aournd, and well organised. This made me feel very comfortable and welcome, which allowed me to settle down very quickly. As well as that the family were very supportive and showed alot of interest in our health and diet which later on became very important for our performances in the matches.
The first day at Pizza Hut Park was nothing like I had seen before. The condition of the pitches were of the highest quality and the atmophsere was subline. The organisation of the of the tournament was excellent, which made us as a squad feel professional.
'when I first arrived in Dallas the environment was pretty much what I expected. The reason for this was that I already had been to other parts of America where the lifestyle was similar. However, many of my team mates had never been to America and were excited by the changes. Arriving at my family's house they seemed very excited to have us aournd, and well organised. This made me feel very comfortable and welcome, which allowed me to settle down very quickly. As well as that the family were very supportive and showed alot of interest in our health and diet which later on became very important for our performances in the matches.
The first day at Pizza Hut Park was nothing like I had seen before. The condition of the pitches were of the highest quality and the atmophsere was subline. The organisation of the of the tournament was excellent, which made us as a squad feel professional.
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